


fabricated

by orphan_account



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-25 23:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3828817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye and Coulson go in to retrieve an Agent, things get complicated. (set sometime in s1)</p>
            </blockquote>





	fabricated

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mierke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mierke/gifts).



> Happy birthday!

Skye is trying really, _really_ , hard to focus on what Coulson’s saying. It’s about the mission’s parameters, extracting an agent without blowing their cover, and Skye isn’t going to just blurt out what she’s thinking.

“I thought Agent May was going undercover with you.”

Or she is. Ward looks like he sucked on a lemon, May seems almost amused, and FitzSimmons are trading looks.

Coulson doesn’t sigh, but Skye would bet her laptop that he wants to. “Mr. Wesson has taken on a new lover, one unfortunately that’s seen Agent May in action.”

“But-”

“We are not risking the entire op on this. I’ll be doing all the heavy-lifting, and this is going to go off without a hitch. This is a quick nonviolent retrieval, we’ll be fine.”

.

It doesn’t go off without a hitch. That part doesn’t surprise Skye, but the level to which it gets messed up even seems to surprise Coulson. Or, she should say, her dearest future husband Patrick.

In a spectacular mess, their boss-employee cover is transformed into an engaged pair, and Skye’s pocket has a ring in it. She slips it on before handshakes can occur, and the diamond is ostentatious enough to draw comments. She’s trying not to think how smoothly Coulson was able to slip into her pockets- _plant the object_ a voice in her head corrects that sounds suspiciously like Fitz.

They’re on vacation, their one year anniversary, rather than planning a retreat for the business. The original plan had them extracting under the guise of a job offer and tour of the nearest facility, Skye isn’t sure how it’ll work with the new plan. She also isn’t sure where Agent Harris is, and she has a bad feeling about that. He was supposed to make contact when they touched down.

Coulson turns to her suddenly, and the other two are looking at her too. Mr. Wesson and the cabin owner, Ms. Alvatrez. She offers up a faint blush and smile, “Sorry, I’m just so excited we’re here. We haven’t had a real vacation in ages.”

It must fit well enough into conversation, as Ms. Alvatrez grins and offers her an old key. “For lucky number seven. Brunch is 8 to 2.”

“Thank you,” Skye says, and Coulson says something to Wesson that she doesn’t catch. She’s feeling like a pretty terrible agent, but there’s a small comfort in the fact that he’s supposed to be doing all of the work. She’s just an accessory here- at least once they’re in the cabin, she can plug in and search their network.

When they’re finally settled into lucky number seven- lucky to be so far away that no one overhears a murder she thinks grimly- her patience is dwindling, and she has to ask why he switched scripts on her. Of course, all she gets out is a, “Why-” before Coulson’s hand is over her mouth. Her eyebrows jump up, and it takes all her training with Ward to refrain from going with her first instinct and licking his hand.

He points to the corner, and Skye spots a bug. She glares at it, biting back her curses and looks more closely around the rest of the apartment. The good news is they’re all most likely audio only. The bad news is things are looking much worse for Agent Harris.

Skye flips through the pamphlets by the tv, mostly activities in the area and a few catch her eye for getting away from whomever’s watching them. “Let’s go hiking tomorrow, we could bring some food and…” Skye trails off, and Coulson picks up the lead perfectly.

He gives a deep warm chuckle, and Skye tries to keep her eyes from bugging out. AC is cool of course, but this is another level. “If you feel like walking in the morning.”

Her jaw drops at the implication, and there’s a light blush on Coulson’s cheeks- but he doesn’t take it back. It’d be out of character, she tells her squirming stomach. And Skye thinks to how Jen would react- not Jen the executive assistant, but engaged Jen. She can be Jen, she _needs_ to be Jen.

Her smirk feels shallow, but her words still come out confident. “You’re welcome to try Patrick, we’re having a picnic.”

Skye looks up then, wanting to gauge his reaction, but he’s putting away their clothes like a good fiance/agent. She shouldn’t put those words together, cover identities are just covers, but she never did get around to deep undercover training. At least she isn’t with one of the others- May would be impossible to read and robot-boy would probably fake the wrong emotions. (As if she’d be sent down with either half of FitzSimmons. If they had field clearance though, they’d nail it.)

Skye gets her head back in the game, unpacking her suitcase. It’d look weird if she didn’t, she’s pretty sure most happy couples don’t live out of their suitcases on vacation due to trust issues. Jen doesn’t have trust issues, Jen is totally in love with Patrick, Jen grew up normal, and Jen can deal with putting her clothes away.

Skye thinks she might be getting a little too deep into character, but she’s also pretty sure she’ll slip out by mistake if she isn’t deep enough.

“I’m showering, you wanna join?”

The Jen side of her mind is screaming _yes_ , and the Skye side is caught on the informal word. She hesitates, looking at the half full bag in front of her, “I’ll come once I finish unpacking, or once I find my toothbrush.”

Coulson laughs, grabbing a small toiletry bag, “Be quick then.”

Skye gives a small laugh for the bugs- it’s fake, but she doubts it’ll show that much on the recording- and goes back to unpacking. It takes her twelve minutes to finish, and she knows everyone on the team can shower in under three minutes. The water’s still running, so taking a breath that hopefully isn’t too loud or too _I’m clearly not engaged to this man and nervous_ sounding, she goes in.

Coulson’s standing outside of the shower, damp with a towel around his waist. He gestures next to the shower, and she inches closer, wondering just how method they’re going on this. And the Jen side is _very_ into the idea of method.

He’s whispering directly into her ear, a few droplets falling onto her shirt and Skye really needs to be fully focused.

“You can’t turn your laptop on, the bugs were too obvious- they know something. Send me to get something once we’re getting ready for bed. Okay?”

Skye nods, feeling flushed from the steam and Coulson’s body a mere centimeter from her own. If she shifted her weight even the slightest bit-

“Good. Can you stay in character? This isn’t going to be an hour turnaround.”

Skye bites her lip, “I think so.”

“What would help?”

She wants to lie and say she doesn’t know. Skye looks at him by mistake, and _fuck_ she knows better.

“Whatever you need,” he says, and it makes her feel sick. This isn’t something he would have to deal with if May were here, and she’s sure S.H.I.E.L.D. drills the idea of consent out during undercover training. She can’t look at him, or herself, god, she shouldn’t even be tempted. She grips onto that, and strips out of her clothes, taking a three minute shower.

She comes out of the shower as Jen: a relaxed smile, a looseness in her gait, and a quip ready when she shuts the water off.

“I think we used up all the hot water,” she teases, and Coulson’s hand lands on her upper back.

“Mmm, I’m sure there will be more in the morning,” he says, kissing her shoulder and heading into the bedroom.

Skye wants to flip out- can’t put Coulson and Patrick into the same person- can’t think about him like that. Her mind unhelpfully flickers back to when they rode in Lola together, all his pride and joy and-

Skye brushes her teeth, thinking strictly only Jen thoughts. Only those are allowed in the cabin, or on the grounds. Just Jen. She could do this.

Coulson is lying in their bed, and traded the towel for boxers. She remembers suddenly that she’s supposed to ask him to get her something, but only condoms are coming to mind. (Which his whole sprawling out on the bed thing, is _not_ helping.) Then if he got them, it’d be weird if they didn’t have sex as a celebrating couple that specifically just went shopping. The light bulb goes off, and Skye is extremely grateful there aren’t any visual cameras.

“Baby did you pack any advil?”

Coulson doesn’t even blink at the pet name, which Skye can admit is a little disappointing. “No,” he says getting up, “I’ll run to the store. Anything else?”

“Iced tea please.”

“The Arizona sweet tea?”

“Mhmm,” she says, kissing his cheek, “good boy.”

Skye ends up falling asleep before he returns, and vaguely feels when he comes back. His voice is soft murmuring about pills, and she says later, cuddling into the offered arm, and slipping back to sleep.

The morning comes slowly, and Skye knows she slept in. She’s about to freak out- Ward is going to be pissy that she’s late again- and then she realizes she’s most definitely not in her bunk. This bed is way too comfortable and warm, and her foot isn’t dangling off the side. Her eyes flicker open, and her really warm pillow turns out to be Coulson- who is reading some book on WWI. Skye’s ready to bet he’s already read it before, but figures Jen probably isn’t the type to tease her lover for their reading material.

“Morning,” she murmurs, dropping a kiss to the nearby shoulder.

“Hey, you feeling better?” he asks, placing the book on the nightstand.

“Mhmm, picnic brunch?”

“I may have packed a basket last night.”

Skye sits up and laughs at the oversized basket by the fridge. “Perfect.”

They’re dressed and on the trail in ten minutes, leisurely walking arm in arm. After a few miles, Coulson directs them off trail and after a few more, they settle in a field.

Coulson hands her a sandwich, and she raises an eyebrow at all the nonfood items in the basket. “I found Harris’ body last night. Good thing we packed light.”

“We’re not going to go after Wesson?”

“Wesson’s new lover isn’t Sara Sandstrom, it’s a man.”

Skye finishes her tuna sandwich, “Maybe he’s cheating on her?”

Coulson nods, “I thought of that, but it seems improbable with a dead agent and them assuming who we were. Someone didn’t want May here.”

Skye’s eyebrows come together, “But the only explanation that fits is there’s a leak.”

“Once we’re back on the Bus, you’re going to do full communications checks on our team.”

“You don’t think-”

Coulson sighs, “I think it’s possible it’s someone on the outside, I don’t think it’s probable. Most likely is someone grounded that we got information from, a level six or seven. Any findings will be discussed off the Bus for security. Can you do that?”

Skye nods, dread filling her stomach. It had to be someone within S.H.I.E.L.D., no one else could have orchestrated it.

“You’ll have to act normal around everyone, no one can be tipped off about anything.”

Skye swallows, “You really think it could be one of the team.”

Coulson doesn’t answer that, pulling out a phone and saying, “Any questions before I call the plane over?”

“What’s our excuse for meeting off the plane?”

“We won’t give one.”

“But then they’ll think,” Skye begins, and drifts off, her face flushing. Jemma had accidentally let it slip that there was gossip about them floating around the Hub.

“We acted on something we shouldn’t have while undercover, or wanted to- it’s believable, and no one on our side will really question it.”

Skye snorts, “You? Breaking the op rules?”

“I’ve done stranger things,” he says, and Skye is almost dizzy, reassessing the previous night and Jen’s thoughts tangling with her own.

“Anything else?” he asks, and this time Skye goes for it- this time she thinks he wants it, and leans forward to kiss him. His hands tangle in her hair, and he closes the space between them. His arms tighten around her, and he deepens the kiss ever so slightly before breaking away.

He calls May, and their ride will be there in moments. Skye’s ready for this type of undercover, meshed with truth and even higher stakes.

“Jamaica. For our first secret date, I hear it’s nice this time of year.”

AC gives her a last quick kiss before the plane can be heard overhead, saying, “It’s a plan.”


End file.
